Paradise Lost
by mashimoshi
Summary: They thought they finally had some paradise… some time to themselves, with no one trying to kill them. But when danger strikes their hitter… that paradise is forever lost.
1. Chapter 1

**New Story!**

 **I really appreciated the feedback you guys gave me for my last story, "Sacrifice." I did say I would make a sequel, and I will; I already started it, but have run out of ideas. If anyone wants to give me some advice, please, don't hesitate to PM me, and we'll brainstorm and figure it all out.**

 **For the time being, enjoy this story! I have a great feeling about this one... :)**

* * *

"Come ON, Nate!" Parker whined, not letting the mastermind leave the HQ's living room. "We all need a break. We've been working nonstop to put Moreau away and now that we've finally done that… we should have a small vacation… you know, have some fun, and finally relax. Come on, please?"

"Parker's right, Nate," Sophie agreed. "We're all tired. We can just go for a few weeks. It wouldn't hurt."  
Nate looked around his teammates; he received nods from every member, except Eliot… but even though he didn't give away any emotion, his eyes said it all: he, of all people, needed this vacation.

"Fine!" Nate gave up, throwing his hands in surrender. "Start packing. We'll go to Hawaii."

"Yayyyy!" Parker exclaimed, jumping up and down right beside Eliot.

The hitter rolled his eyes, but smirked, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. In the background, he could hear his teammates laughing; Hardison even came up to him to do their usual hitter/hacker handshake. Maybe a vacation would be nice, the hitter thought.

When they finished celebrating, they all started packing; Hardison got all their tickets… and they were off!

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.

.

The five thieves arrived at a beautiful estate in Kauai, after an eight hour flight. The building was huge, and by the looks of it, so were the rooms. There was a pool on the side of the building, and luckily, it was empty.

"I wanna go to the pool!" Parker was saying, clapping her hands together.

"Darlin', we'll do everything we can here," Eliot said. "We first gotta check in and get settled. Alright?"

"Fine," Parker replied, clearly annoyed.

The team quickly checked in, and got settled in their rooms. Within an hour, everyone, except Eliot, was sitting in the pool.

"Come on, Eliot!" Sophie said. "Come in,"

The hitter, who was sitting on a rather comfortable beach chair, shook his head, a sly smirk playing at his face.

"Oh come on," Parker said. "Get in Eliot, the water's fine,"

Finally, Eliot gave in. He stood up and took off his shirt, revealing his muscular body. The entire team gazed at his perfect form, the muscle under his flawless olive skin. They all gasped when they noticed the deep scars marring his body. Parker looked at Hardison, her eyes wide.

Without paying attention to everyone's looks, Eliot sat on the edge of the pool. He gasped from the sudden cold that took hold of him, his fighter instincts threatening to kick in. He quickly pushed them down and took a deep breath, sliding in all the way. The water now suddenly felt nice, refreshing. He came up for air, leading against the pool's wall. He ran a hand through his soaked hair, feeling the water drip down his body.

"See?" Parker said, smiling. "See?" Parker said. "I told you,"

Eliot grinned. At that time, one of the pool's bartenders came walking by. Eliot stopped her, saying, "Hey, darlin', can you get me one of those cold beers for me?"

The woman smiled sweetly. "Sure, I'll have it brought down in just a few,"

"Appreciate it," In a couple of minutes, Eliot had a beer in his hand, and he was drinking it with pleasure. He turned around, seeing that Parker and Hardison were having a race. He smiled, knowing that Parker was going to win by far.

.

.

.

When the team had enough of the pool, they got back to their rooms. Eliot was lying on his bed, reading a book when he heard a knock at his door. He stood up and walked towards it… but when he opened it, there was no one there.

"Hello?"

No reply.

He walked out of his room, stealthily making his way out of the building. He walked to the pool, looking around his surroundings.

"Eliot Spencer?"

The hitter turned around, seeing a man in his mid-forties standing in front of him.

"Jackie Williams says hello," the man said.

The minute Eliot's mind fully processed what he said, the guard charged at him, throwing both of them in the pool.

When Eliot opened his eyes, he saw the man flinging a sharp dagger at him. Eliot dodged the attacks, but soon enough, he felt a stabbing pain in his side. He saw blood flowing all around them, but was forced to dodge more swipes. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Eliot managed to get the knife out of his opponent's hands. Without thinking, he smashed the dagger into his chest; his foe's expression, which had been filled with determination, turned into confusion. His grip loosened on Eliot, and the hitter took that chance to resurface. He gasped for air, swimming for the ledge.

He slowly got up; his eyes darted towards his stomach, seeing that the fabric of his shirt was now ripped, blood flowing through. "Dammit," he mumbled. He began making his way towards the hotel, trying his best not to make a sound. He stopped at the closest room there was: Parker's.

As soon as the door opened, he fell through, curling into himself.

"Eliot!" Parker exclaimed. She knelt beside him, supporting him and getting him onto her bed.

She ran out of the room to get the others, explaining, "He just collapsed through. I don't know what happened."

"Bandages," the hitter said from the bed. "I need bandages,"

The team quickly got him the equipment he needed; Parker helped Eliot mend his wound, while he replayed what happened. "The man said that Jackie Williams said hello," he said, finishing his story.

"Well, who is Jackie Williams?" Nate asked.

"Dead," Hardison replied. "He died in the military… serving with Eliot Spencer?"

All eyes fell on him. "Eliot?" Nate repeated.

The man sighed, wrapping the rest of his ribs. "Thank you, Parker," he said. "Yeah, I worked with Jackie Williams. We were on a mission together and were captured by the enemy. Unfortunately, Jackie didn't make it. I got out, and right when I got back home, I left the military. For good. I never heard of Jackie ever since. That guard caught me off guard when he said his name. He was professional as well." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He ruffled it a little to get rid of the moisture.

"Oh, Eliot…," Sophie whispered.

"I'm alright, Sophie, I really am. What's really worrying me is the man that attacked me. He knew what he was doing, and he had great skill. He could've killed me."  
Parker had given him a blanket, which he took gratefully, wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Okay, new plan," Nate said. "We have to get Eliot-"

"Right now, I'm more concerned about getting you all out of here-"

"Eliot, he's after you," Nate said. "We have to get you out of here. You have to stop worrying about us. Instead you have to worry about yourself, get yourself out of harm's way."

"I'm the hitter, Nate," the hitter replied. "I'm YOUR hitter. And it's MY job to keep all of you safe. So no matter what danger I'm in, I'm ready to get you out first."

The room fell silent.

Suddenly, the room's windows crashed down. Without thinking, Eliot lunged at Parker, who was closest to the window, protecting her from the shards of glass. He felt his back being shredded with glass, but he refused to let Parker fall in danger. He felt hands on his shoulders and then he was on the ground, staring at who was his best friend.

"Jackie," he whimpered.

"Hello, Eliot," the man said, smiling.

The hitter stood up, his hand going around his stomach. "You were dead," he managed to croak out.

Jackie suddenly reached out and grabbed Parker, and was holding a gun to her head. "You have two choices," he said.

"Jackie, let her go," Eliot said.

"You can either come with me…," Jackie continued. "Or you can let her and your team die. It's your choice,"

"Eliot, don't," Parker begged. "Please,"

"Just let her go," Eliot finally said. "I'll go with you,"

"No!" she cried.

Jackie smirked. "That's the answer I was hoping for." He then pushed the blonde into Eliot's arms. The hitter caught her easily, whispering in her ear, "I'm sorry, Parker,"

He let go of her, and walked over to Jackie… willingly. The man forced Eliot onto his knees, cuffing him. He then walked over to the window, pushing him out.

"No!" Parker screamed.

"It was a pleasure doing buisness with you all," Jackie said, grinning. The next thing they knew, Jackie was gone… and so was Eliot.

"Dammit!" Parker exclaimed.

* * *

 **So how'd you like it? Please make sure to review and give me feedback. I really do appreciate it, and it helps move on with the story. If anyone has any ideas, make sure to PM me!**

 ****NOTE: The story "How It All Began," NEEDS reviews in order for it to go on. I need prompts for each chapter, since this fic is based on what you guys want me to write. Make sure to review or PM your ideas. Thank you all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter!**

 **I kinda just realized that this fic can be seen as an AU, since it doesn't really seem like something the show would write. I don't know though. What do you think? Review or PM please! I hope you enjoy this chapter either way. I really like where this is going. If you have any ideas, please don't hesitate to tell me.**

 **Also, don't forget, that I am attempting to make a sequel for "Sacrifice," but just have run out of ideas. Please tell me if you have any. And don't forget to give me promts on my story, "How It All Began." The story needs you guys' ideas in order to go on.  
**

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Jackie forced Eliot into a ginormous prison; the top of it was a huge castle in the middle of the ocean, while the bottom of it was a murky cave, full of cells. Eliot was thrown into one of them, landing rather painfully on his side; he heard his ribs crack under the pressure.

"You know, I've always loved the story of Monte Cristo," Jackie began. "When the Count was sent to d'If, his prison warden helped them keep track of time. Every once a year, on the anniversary of his prisoners' captivity, he would torture them. For hours. That's, by far, my favorite part of the story. So I've decided to do the same to you. And just like the Count's, your first punishment will be the most painful."

The next thing Eliot knew, his feet were dangling over the ground, and he was getting whipped. He tried to bite down his urge to scream, but still couldn't prevent a strangled groan escape his mouth. "What's happened to you, Jackie?" he managed to ask through gritted teeth.

"I learned that if someone betrays a friend, the one betrayed has to seek vengeance," he replied. "So now you have to pay for your betrayal, Eliot. This is what you did… so know you have to pay for it."

He hit him again, and this time, Eliot let himself scream.

This went on for hours, until Jackie finally left Eliot alone. The poor hitter was let go off his chains and was now curled up in a tight ball, trembling violently. He forced himself to sit up, wiping sweat off his forehead. He now finally had the chance to look around his prison cell; it was a tiny room made out of rocks. There was a small opening, in the wall, and Eliot decided that was the best way to spend his time there. He slowly crawled over to the little corner, sitting against the wall. He threw his head back, closing his eyes.

"He was supposed to be dead," he whispered to himself. "He was supposed to be dead…"

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Jackie Williams held Eliot in captivity for six years. Every once a year, he would torture the poor man severely, smiling at his prisoner's pointless groans.

On his seventh year anniversary, Eliot finally managed to escape. Jackie was in the middle of his torture session when Eliot suddenly ripped out of his chains. He screamed in pain, lunging at Jackie. He punched him with all his remaining strength, knocking him out. He quickly stood back up, throwing his, now really, long hair back. He charged out of the cell, mindlessly trying to find a way out.

He finally got out of the building, and found himself standing at the edge of the island, right above the ocean.

"Eliot, don't do it!" Jackie screamed in the distance.

The hitter whipped around, fear and determination in his wide eyes.

"Don't do it, Eliot," Jackie continued. "You won't survive it,"

Eliot smiled weakly. "Just like Monte Cristo, huh?" he asked. With that, he threw himself off the cliff, landing in the water. The saltwater immediately made his battered body sting, the current started tossing him back and forth… and only when he thought he was far enough did he came up for air. He greedily sucked in the oxygen, beginning to make his way to God knows where.

He swam for hours, not knowing whether he was going to make it, or not. By the time he saw land, he was barely even conscious; he woke up on soft sand, waves gently crashing against him. He couldn't even open his eyes; all he could do is lay there, hoping for the best.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Eliot!?"

Parker?

A shadow cast over him, and when he opened his tired eyes, he saw her. Parker was right in front of him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Parker?" Eliot croaked.

"I'm here, Eliot," the blonde replied, taking his hand. "I'm right here,"

The hitter used all the strength he had to touch her face; he wanted… no, he needed to know that this was real. "Parker," he repeated. His arm dropped and his eyes closed, a quiet moan escaping him.

Parker burst into tears. She held Eliot's hand until the team came, which wasn't for a few hours. When the rest of the team finally did arrive, it was almost dusk. They all saw the new scars that lingered along their hitter's body, they all saw the heavy whip lashes that marred his skin. Sophie couldn't help but let out a soft cry as she turned around and buried her head in the crook of Nate's shoulder.

"Come on," the mastermind said. "We have to get him out of here,"

"And how are we gonna do that?" Hardison asked.

Parker turned back to Eliot, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Eliot, wake up," she said. "We're gonna get you out of here."

The poor man forced himself to wake up, attempting to stand up immediately… his legs gave up on him the minute he stood up and he collapsed, crying out. Parker quickly helped him back up, and with Hardison's help, they got their hitter into a large beach house they were currently calling home. They got Eliot into one of the rooms, helping him onto the bed. Eliot moaned softly, curling into himself.

Parker situated herself beside his bed on a chair, running her hand through his long hair, trying to calm him down.

Soon enough he fell asleep, the expression on his face clearly showing that he was in pain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Third Chapter!  
Thank you to the people that reviewed; the feedback was great! To be honest, I didn't really expect that. I didn't really think people would like it as much as some of you did. So thank you :)**

 **Please don't forget to review, both what you think of this story, AND ideas for the story, "How It All Began," a sequel idea for "Sacrifice," and what you guys want me to write next! ;)**

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When Eliot woke up, his entire body ached. He slowly sat up, gasping from the sudden pain that took over him.

"Hey,"

Eliot's eyes darted at the small figure sitting on a chair beside him. "Parker," he whispered. He noticed that the thief that had once been childlike and innocent was anything but that now. She was now older, and knew what real life was like. She wasn't that twenty pounds of crazy anymore. "You- you're here?"

"I am Eliot, I'm am. I'm right here with you," Parker replied.

Slowly, Eliot stood up from the bed, letting Parker support him. "Where are the others?"

"They went out to get supplies," she replied.

He nodded, beginning to make his way out of the room. When he came downstairs, he was in a large living room. Hardison's computers were all set up, Nate's alcohol was also there, sitting on the kitchen counter.

"How are you feeling?" Parker asked.

Eliot turned to her, giving her a tired smile. "I've been better Parker, but I'll live,"

"We were all so worried," Parker began. "We spent three years looking for you. When we couldn't find you, we decided to get a beach house here. We had no idea you were so close to us. We didn't expect you washing up on shore yesterday,"

Eliot nodded.

"We… I missed you," she finally said. She walked up to him, carefully wrapping her arms around him.

Eliot quickly returned the hug, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here now," he whispered.

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.

.

Eliot was standing on the shore, staring off into the blue ocean. He remembered the terrible days he spent with Jackie, the memories causing him to shiver. That's why he jerked when Parker placed a gentle hand on his arm. He turned around, not expecting the blonde thief to be standing in front of him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You scared me, that's all," Eliot explained.

Parker frowned. "Eliot Spencer doesn't get scared," she said.

The hitter chuckled, saying "He does when he was captured by a madman and was held captive for seven years."

"Why did he capture you?" Parker asked.

"Because he wanted revenge," Eliot replied.

Simple. The answer was simple. Too simple, Parker thought. Something was definitely wrong.

"Why?"

"Because I betrayed him. When we were captured, I had to let him go. Somehow he survived and decided he wanted vengeance."

The man sighed, running a shaking hand through his hair. He shivered from the thought of Jackie, the thought of his torture sessions, the thought of his pain.

Parker then walked over to him; she picked up his chin, slowly placing her mouth on his. For the first couple of seconds, Eliot didn't return the motion, but soon enough, he was kissing her back. The kiss was gentle, sad. Parker realized that Eliot was more hurt than he let on, both physically and mentally. She continued kissing him, not stopping until she needed air. She then slid under his arms, relief washing over her when he wrapped them around her. "You're going to be okay," she whispered. "You're going to make this through,"

"I know, Parker. I know" Eliot said.

From the beach house, Nate and Sophie watched the moment that unraveled between the two thieves. It was a beautiful picture, the two of them standing in the sunset's shadow, not saying anything. "We're gonna have to ask him what happened," Nate said. "We need to,"

"I know, Nate, I know," Sophie said. "But… just give him a little time. He's hurt. And probably afraid as well. It's not every day your friend rises from the dead and wants to torture you to death. We'll ask him when the time comes… which is not now."

Nate nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey.

.

.

.

Dinner was quiet; Eliot had made what was one of his best meals that night, and even though it was delicious, no one really wanted to break the silence.

Finally, after realizing what was bugging all of them, Eliot asked, "You want to know what he did to me?"

Everyone looked up, and one by one, they all nodded.

Eliot sighed. "Do you all know the story of the Count of Monte Christo?"

"Yes," Nate replied. "Before he became the Count, Monte Christo's real name was Edmond Dantes. His best friend betrayed him because of his own jealousy and Dantes was sent to the Chateau d'If, where he was imprisoned for over sixteen years. When he got out, he wanted revenge on the people that betrayed him,"

"That story is similar to what happened between me and Jackie," Eliot continued. "He always loved that story," he added quietly. "Anyway, when he captured me, he did the same thing the Count's prison warden did to help his prisoners keep track of time: every year, on the day of the anniversary of my captivity, he would come in and…," He choked on his words, unable to say it.

Sophie gave out a small gasp, placing her hand on her mouth.

"He's gonna come back for me, Nate," Eliot said. "I know Jackie; he doesn't stop until he has either completed his mission, or somebody kills him. And I can't have any of you hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened…," His words faded.

He looked at each and every one of them with his piercing blue eyes, allowing the team to read him; he was terrified.

"I need some air," he said, standing up and walking outside. He leaned against the porch, just wanting some time to himself.

"Eliot?" Parker's voice asked.

He felt a hand on his arm, and when he turned around, calm, assuring eyes locked with his. She slowly pulled him into her arms, gently stroking his face and hair. Eliot didn't resist; he wrapped his arms around his, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You escaped," she said. "You're safe, and Jackie can't get to you. And we're make sure it stays like that. Okay?"

Eliot suddenly pulled away. "Since when did you get so serious?" he joked.

Parker chuckled softly. "Since I lost you." she replied.

Eliot planted a light kiss on her lips, the kiss, like the first one, sad and distant.

The blonde sighed at the thought that he would never recover from what his own best friend did.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four! I think that the one after this will be the last... I know, tragic. Anyway, I think this story has gone really well. I'll be sad to let it go... Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I just HAD to add Parker/Eliot romance! So sorry if you don't like it! Make sure to read, enjoy, and review. :)**

 **By the way, my first week of finals just ended, so I'll be able to write more. Sorry I didn't write as much as I should have. Once again, enjoy!**

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 _"Jackie!" Eliot screamed. "Jackie!"_

 _He held the man in his arms, his best friend's blood pouring on and around him. Jackie shivered, his hand grasping for his fresh knife wound._

 _"Stay with me, man, just stay with me!" Eliot begged, looking at Jackie with pleading eyes._

 _"So who do you choose?" a distant voice asked; Eliot couldn't move, couldn't reply. He kept staring at his friend, wanting to hold on to as much of his remaining life as he could…._

 _A bullet pierced through the silence. Eliot heard himself cry out as blood spattered on his face and body, and the next thing he saw was a bullet hole in Jackie's chest. His eyes were open and sad, filled with terror and grief._

 _A silent tear made it's way down Eliot's cheek, and onto the soldier's shirt…._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"How did you survive?" Eliot had asked Jackie, back in that damned prison._

 _"Well, when you were taken away, I woke up," Jackie replied. "I was forced to work for one of the biggest criminals in the world. After, when I finally managed to get out, I decided to get you back for betraying me. For making me work for that bastard… for just leaving me there to die… for every moment of pain that you brought me."_

 _"Jackie, I didn't know!" Eliot cried, staring at the man with horror. "I wouldn't have ever left you if I knew… please, I didn't know…."_

 _"Mercy is for the weak, Eliot," Jackie interrupted. "And you are most definitely NOT weak…."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Eliot found himself writhing in pain, a gently hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. He gasped, his eyes opening, widening. Sweat was dripping down his face, damping his covers. He slowly sat up, his eyes darting around the room.

"Eliot?" Parker asked; Eliot realized that she was the one that was trying to wake him up. "Eliot, what's wrong?"

"Jackie…," His voice caught, and he gasped. "He's in my head… he won't get out…."

"He's gone now, Eliot. He's gone and he can't hurt you. I promise." Parker assured.

"But he will… Parker, he will get me, and he will hurt me…," the poor hitter rambled uncontrollably; and Parker kept trying to calm him down… until he finally fell asleep, hurt and exhausted.

Parker held him tight, afraid to let go. She rested her head on his shoulder, gently stroking his hair.

On the next morning, when she woke up, Eliot was gone. The blonde shot up, running through the house, looking for Eliot. She finally found him sitting on the porch, his head in his hands. Parker slowly sat down beside him, her hand rubbing circles on his shoulder.

"I know that this is difficult, Eliot," she said. "I know that it's hard trying to recover from something like that. No one should have to withstand that, not even you. But in order for you to win over the nightmare that's haunting you, YOU have to be the one to stop it. I don't know how, but you just do. It'll be hard, but I will be with you every step of the way. Because I love you, Eliot. And when somebody loves another person, they do everything to help the person that they love."

A sudden clapping erupted after Parker finished. Eliot looked up, his eyes widening immediately. "Jackie?" he said; his voice was strained, but it had a coldness to it… Parker had never heard Eliot talk like that before.

"The thief is right, Eliot," Jackie began. "Let's finally settle this. One on one. If you win, I'll probably be dead, and your nightmare will be over. But if I win, you'll be dead… along with your team. That sound fair?"

The hitter tensed; after a couple of seconds, he nodded sadly. "Fine Jackie, we'll do it your way."

"Eliot, no!"

His friend suddenly threw something at him; Eliot caught it easily, but still wasn't able to contain a small gasp. He looked down at the object, and realized it was a knife.

"I see you're reflexes aren't as good as they used to be." Jackie smirked.

"What's going-?" Hardison, who was about to see what the commotion was about, froze dead in his tracks. "Nate! Sophie!" he yelled. The rest of the team arrived just in time to see Jackie and Eliot get into fighting stances on the beach.

Eliot's stance was loose, but his shoulders were so tense, and so was his face. They walked around each other, until Eliot finally lunged. Jackie dodged easily, and Eliot rolled back onto his feet. His wounds screamed at him, but he didn't care. He needed to keep going; he needed to protect what was his: the team… and Parker.

He lunged again, and this time, not only did Jackie dodge again, but he brought his knife down under Eliot's stomach, forming a deep cut on his skin. Eliot cried out, rolling back up again. He looked at his stomach, feeling blood dripping down his skin. Without wasting a second, he quickly took off his shirt, shoving it to the ground.

The two men had stepped into the water, still circling each other. This time, Jackie lunged, and Eliot dodged. He quickly jumped on top of him, but wasn't strong enough; Jackie rolled him over, forcing him to hit the wet ground hard. Water splashed onto him, stinging his injuries.

Jackie held the dagger to Eliot's throat, not paying any attention to Parker's screams. "Say goodbye, Eliot," he said with excitement, his eyes carrying the look of a maniac. "It was fun while it lasted…."

He brought down the dagger… but Eliot moved just in time. The weapon punctured his shoulder, and he screamed, finally able to get out of Jackie's hold. He stood back up, reaching for his dagger. Water dripped down his body, soaking through his skin and onto his wounds. Without paying attention to the pain, he jumped at Jackie, this time managing to make a cut on his arm. And while he stopped to look at the wound, Eliot made his move.

He drove the dagger into his chest, pulled it out, and forced him into his arms, holding the knife to his neck. "Remember this, Jackie," Eliot whispered in his ear. "No one messes with my team. No one."

Jackie laughed, the corners of his mouth forming into an insane smile.

And right when Eliot drove the dagger across his neck, Jackie pushed his own knife to his chest, missing his heart by an inch. His breathing hitched, and he was dead in seconds.

When feeling the knife in his chest, Eliot cried out, letting go of Jackie. He fell to the ground, his hand traveling to his wound.

"Eliot!" Parker screamed, finally freeing herself from Hardison's tight grasp and running over to the man lying in the sand. She dropped beside him, reached for his the shirt he had thrown on the ground. She tied it around his waist, using her own jacket to wrap the wound on his shoulder. Eliot moaned softly, struggling to hold on to that one last bit of life left in him.

"Just stay with me, Eliot, just stay with me," Parker begged, the tears spilling over her face. "Please, Eliot." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I told you to end your nightmare. And It's almost over, I promise. You just have to hold on a little longer."

The hitter opened his eyes, reaching up to touch her face. "I know, darlin', I know." he whispered, dropping his hand. His eyes closed, and he let out a quiet grunt.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is not the last chapter! Yayyyyyyy! This is not the best chapter, but I still think it's good enough to post. I hope you enjoy! :) Poor Eliot, right?**

* * *

Parker waited beside Eliot's bed for hours, not knowing or hearing anything. Time didn't seem to move, and the longer she sat by Eliot, the slower it got. She remembered what the team had done when Eliot was captured… they searched everywhere, unable to find him.

Every night, Parker remembered crying herself to sleep, thinking of Eliot's pained expression, the way he looked at her before letting Jackie cuff him and take him away. And when she finally did find him, Parker didn't expect to see what she saw.

He looked broken… destroyed… afraid… confused. When he reached to touch her face, wanting to know it was all real, he was so weak… so exhausted… so heartbroken. Parker wanted to just hold him in her arms, never letting go.

Her mind went back to the six years they spent looking for him. Out of the team, Parker was dead set on finding him… but slowly, she began to lose hope. They flew to practically every country, going by each one at lightning speed… he was nowhere to be found.

On the third year of searching, they finally decided to settle at a beach house in Miami, wanting to finally have a place to call home for once. When Eliot washed up on shore that day, they had decided to stop searching for a week. Parker had been walking on the beach, when she suddenly saw a slumped figure lying on the ground. At first she thought that it wasn't possible… but when she got closer, she realized that it was true: it was Eliot… her Eliot-

Parker was forced out of her thoughts when she heard a light groan. She looked up to see Eliot attempting to sit up, but instantly regretting it.

"Eliot!" she exclaimed, standing up. She gently fixed his pillows, kissing the top of his head. "You're awake."

The man wore a confused expression on his face. But soon enough he remembered what had happened; he cleared his throat. "Jackie?" he asked, his voice weak.

"He's gone, Eliot. The nightmare is over. Everything is going to be okay." Parker replied.

"I… killed him?" he croaked.

Parker nodded.

Eliot threw his head back. "I killed him," he repeated. "I killed my best friend." Tears slowly formed in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He reached for Parker's hand, interlocking his fingers with her own.

The thief sat beside him on his bed, running her free hand through his hair. "You did what you had to do, Eliot," she said. "He was about to kill you, so you had to kill him first."

"He was my best friend," Eliot said quietly. "My brother. And after everything we had been through together, I was the one forced to kill him," He looked at Parker, his eyes revealing remorse… guilt. "You saw a part of me that no one should ever see," he continued. "You saw a monster…." He took in a sharp breath, unable to speak any further.

The blonde stood up, gently levering him up on his feet as well. "The others are waiting." she said.

Eliot nodded, blinking away the tears again. He let Parker lead him into the living room; the team was scattered around the room, not saying anything. Nate, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, had a huge bottle of whiskey in his hand, Sophie was hugging herself on the couch, her eyes closed. It was clear that she had been crying. And Hardison was sitting behind his computer, just staring at the screen.

Parker interrupted everyone by saying, "Guys, he's awake."

They all shot up, crowding around Eliot and asking questions:

"Are you alright?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Can I get you anything?"

Finally, Eliot couldn't take it anymore. "Enough!" he roared.

Everyone went silent.

Sophie slowly walked over to him, reaching out to hug him. Eliot returned the embrace, stroking the grifter's hair gently. "I'm alright, Sophie, I promise." he whispered in her ear.

The brunette pulled away, nodding; tears glossed her eyes.

Next came Hardison; he saw how distant his brother seemed. Without thinking, he enclosed him in a gentle bear hug. "Thank god you're alright." he said.

Lastly… Nate. The mastermind stood still, staring at Eliot's eyes. He understood that Eliot was carrying an insane amount of weight on his shoulders and that it would be hard for him to ever lift that weight off of him. He quickly nodded, as if to show Eliot that he knew.

A sudden boom of thunder sounded, making Eliot jerk. Parker quickly placed her hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer to him. She sat him down on the couch, making sure she was cuddled against him.

"Where'd you bury the body?" Eliot asked.

"We found a place for him in a veteran cemetery," Nate replied. "We decided that even though he wasn't such a good person, he still deserved to be buried somewhere that would give him the respect of an ex-soldier."

Eliot stayed quiet, unsure of what to say.

"He's gone, Eliot," Sophie finally said. "He's gone for good this time. You're free. And you're safe."

The hitter remained silent.

"Come on, Eliot, why don't we go back upstairs to change your bandages?" Parker asked.

When receiving a slow nod, she helped him get up, leading him back to his room.

She was changing his bandages when he said, "He had a family. A wife and a daughter. I can imagine that the girl is in her twenties. I wonder if she ever saw her father again. Her name was Hannah; they had named her after my mother, who had helped them a lot while Jackie and I were in the military."

Parker had just finished bandaging Eliot's stomach and shoulder, and was now sitting beside him, her fingers tracing patterns on his arm. "Get some rest," she said. "You need it."

Eliot said nothing. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips brushing past Parker's. "Stay with me," he whispered. "Please?"

"Don't worry, Eliot. I'm not going anywhere." Parker replied.


	6. Chapter 6

**Last chapter! Yes, this chapter is rather short, and is definitely not the best, but I have an idea for another fic and just decided to finish this one up. Sorry if this chapter disappointed you... Anyway, this fic has been really fun to write... until I got writers block and I was ready to Spencer style it and punch someone... hehe :) Yeah, so that's why I'm kinda finishing this story so abruptly. Again, I am so sorry. I still hope you enjoyed this fic.**

 **My next fic will be rather interesting and I'm really excited for it, as I am for the other ones. I will try to write a sequel for "Sacrifice," since people seemed to really want one. That will be written after this next story that I'm planning to write. I promise!**

 **Also, don't forget to give me prompts for the fic, "How It All Began." I really need them in order for the story to go on.**

 **Okay, I'm done; enjoy the last chapter of this story. I still don't think I did to well with it... but I'm just gonna leave it at that.**

* * *

Parker sat by Eliot all night, helping him get through every nightmare. Every hour or so, he would start tossing and turning, small whimpers escaping his mouth. Parker would always be there, shaking him awake and calming him down. When the hitter finally had enough, he just decided to stay awake.

"Tell me," he said, gasping for air; the last nightmare had been the hardest nightmare to get through. "What did you do when Jackie captured me?"

Parker had helped him sit up, and was using his legs as a pillow. "We searched for three years," she began. "We flew every country we could think of until we finally decided to get this place. We needed a place to call him. Anyway, we still kept searching for you. And then on the week that we wanted… no needed, a break of nonstop searching with no results, I found you. I finally found you."

Eliot thought about those words for a few seconds before saying, "You went through so much just to find me?"

"We're a team, Eliot," Parker said. "We never leave each other behind."

Eliot took those words into account as he and Parker just sat there for the rest of the night….

.

.

.

For the next few days, Eliot started recovering- both physically, and mentally- from everything that happened since he killed Jackie. Parker was with him the entire time, helping him get through every nightmare, every panic attack, and every moment of doubt he had. Eliot was grateful for that, and soon enough, he decided to get their relationship back on track. The sudden kiss that Parker had planted on his lips the first time had begun an unspoken question that hung between the two of them: What do we do now?

In the end, Eliot decided to give it a try, and it was a great decision he made at that.

The two of them had already knew a lot about each other… but when they really started "dating," they learned things that neither of them would have ever even guessed about one another.

Eliot found out that over the time he's been gone, Parker thought herself how to fight. And Parker found out that Eliot was actually a master at lockpicking, and pickpocketing.

Life was good for the entire team, and without counting minor nightmares that came to haunt Eliot every once in awhile, he seemed to have completely recovered from the incident.

In the duration of a year, the team started taking missions again. They even took a job that had to do with Jackie's family, which was a good experience for Eliot. He enjoyed being called "Uncle Eliot" every second of the day.

His nightmare finally ended, and he was so grateful for that. Pretty soon, Jackie Williams was all but a distant memory. His nightmare was over… Eliot's nightmare has ended…


End file.
